Hurricanes ride fast start to 4-1 win over Canucks

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - Brett Pesce, Phil Di Giuseppe and Sebastian Aho scored in the first period, leading the Carolina Hurricanes to a 4-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Friday night.

Justin Williams added his 10th in the third as Carolina stopped a three-game slide. Scott Darling, who had lost his last three starts, made 22 saves.

Michael Del Zotto scored for Vancouver, which beat Carolina 3-0 in their first meeting of the season on Dec. 5. Jacob Markstrom stopped 29 shots.

Pesce got Carolina off to a fast start when he beat Markstrom over his left shoulder for his second NHL goal just 14 seconds in. Jordan Staal and Aho each got an assist on the play.

Di Giuseppe made it 2-0 at 14:43, knocking the puck into the goal off Markstrom's right blocker for his first goal of the season.

Aho added his 20th goal with 56 seconds left in the first, easily beating Markstrom on a stretch pass from Jaccob Slavin.

Del Zotto got Vancouver on the board at 3:30 of the second, scoring from the top of the left circle. But Williams beat Markstrom from the right point at 7:27 of the third.

NOTES: Slavin played in his 200th NHL game. ... Aho became the first Hurricane since Jeff Skinner (2010-12) to score at least 20 goals in his first two seasons. . RW Brock Boeser (wrist) and Christopher Tanev (lower body) were scratches for the Canucks. ... Haydn Fleury was a healthy scratch for Carolina. . The Hurricanes sent forwards Josh Jooris and Marcus Kruger to Charlotte of the AHL.

UP NEXT

Canucks: Visit Dallas on Sunday in the finale of their four-game road trip.

Hurricanes: Host Colorado on Saturday in the seventh of their eight-game homestand.

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